- Counting begins after crucial Senegal election amid high reform hopes
- Nineteen candidates vie to succeed Macky Sall in a pivotal race
- Election marked by youth unemployment, economic concerns, and peaceful voting
Voter counting has begun in Senegal after a postponed presidential election, which has generated considerable optimism regarding the potential for reform in the wake of a tumultuous political era characterised by violent anti-government demonstrations and increased opposition support.
Seven million or more of the more than seventeen million citizens of the country were registered to vote in the election on Sunday.
A total of nineteen candidates are competing for the presidency of Macky Sall, who is resigning following a second term troubled by protests against the prosecution of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and suspicions that Sall intended to exceed the constitutional term of his term.
Senegal witnessed its first-ever election without the incumbent on the ballot. The candidate of his governing coalition is 62-year-old former prime minister Amadou Ba.
Sonko was recently disqualified from the race because of a defamation conviction that landed him in prison. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a co-founder of his defunct PASTEF party arrested nearly a year ago on charges including defamation and contempt of court, is receiving his support.
This month, an amnesty bill was enacted, permitting their release days before the election.
“Diomaye is Sonko” is the campaign slogan he and his colleague Diomaye have jointly utilised.
In addition to Ba and Faye, the presidential race includes Khalifa Sall, the former mayor of Dakar; Idrissa Seck, a veteran politician; former prime minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, a close ally of Sall Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, and entrepreneur and political newcomer Anta Babacar Ngom, the only woman among the candidates.
For a run-off election to be avoided, one candidate must obtain over 50 per cent of the vote. Although the official results are anticipated the following week, candidates have previously released their predictions for elections on the evening of the vote.
“As with any election, there is a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty; dread and unpredictability weigh in as this marks the first election in the past twelve years in which President Macky Sall is not a candidate… In addition, there is a sense of anticipation, particularly among the youthful, inexperienced electors.
“This election is unprecedented in significance, particularly for the younger generation.”
“Electing for a change”
On Sunday, long lines formed near polling stations in Dakar. As members of the nation’s elite police force inspected voter identification cards in armoured vehicles that traversed the city, traffic was relatively calm.
Demain Senegal (Tomorrow Senegal) voter Thiaba Camara Sy said at a polling station in Dakar, “I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to exercise my right to vote as a Senegalese citizen.”
“The possibility that the election would be postponed until an undetermined time was significant; therefore, I have been in the queue for the past two hours, but I am content.”
A 66-year-old fisherman from the ocean-facing neighbourhood of Ngor in Dakar declared that he was casting his ballot for the change that all others desire.
“Due to the low income in Senegal, everything is expensive—food, water, education—” the father of three children told Reuters.
A housewife of 52 years, Khodia Ndiayes, told the Associated Press that she voted for Faye because she wanted Sonko to prevail.
“I voted with pride,” she declared. “Because life is expensive, the economy is poor, and we require better schools, we need a new president.”
Al Jazeera’s Haque reported that many individuals appeared in the polls.
“It’s intriguing who those individuals are: a significant number of young men as well as women, which is crucial in this election given that women comprise a considerable portion of the Senegalese electorate,” he said.
Ba is in opposition to Faye
Ba, who had just voted, issued an appeal for peace and wished that the Senegalese people would soon learn the identity of their next president so that they could resume their daily lives in peace. Extremely, extremely, extremely confident” was how he described his odds of winning.
According to analysts, most of Sonko’s adherents are anticipated to vote for Faye.
“After voting, the populace is deciding between continuation and rupture,” Faye declared, urging candidates to embrace the outcome.
“The two political camps stand on opposite ends of the political spectrum” in these elections, according to Mucahid Durmaz, a senior political risk analyst for Verisk Maplecroft in West Africa.
The author observed that incumbent President Sall and his coalition candidate Ba advocate for economic liberalisation policies. In contrast, opposition figure Sonko and his preferred candidate Faye intend to implement a new currency and renegotiate agreements with the country’s oil and gas operators.
Durmaz stated, “The problem is that despite the economic boom that the country has experienced under President Sall over the years, it has not facilitated a broader socioeconomic development for its youth.”
Economic concerns
Additionally, unemployment is a crucial issue in the election.
Particularly among the youth, frustration with the absence of employment opportunities has bolstered support for Sonko and his backed candidate Faye.
Thirty-five per cent of young Senegalese were unemployed, not in education or training 2019, before the additional labour market strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to unemployment, the current ruling authorities in Senegal have faced a decline in support due to the appreciation of the United States dollar and the escalating cost of living caused by Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
Additionally, the commencement of gas and oil production in the latter part of 2024 has sparked concerns regarding the extent to which the abundance of natural resources will contribute to the betterment of society and generate employment opportunities.
To maximise revenues, the opposition coalition supported by Sonko has pledged to renegotiate energy contracts; Ba, meanwhile, campaigns under the slogan “Prosperity Shared.”
A “calm” voting procedure
Election observers report that, despite the prevailing concerns regarding the precarious state of the economy, the voting process has remained comparatively amicable.
Hundreds of election observers from the European Union, civil society, the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were monitoring the integrity of the vote.
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A member of the EU election observer mission in Senegal stated, “Since the offices opened this morning, our observers have noticed considerable lines in front of them, which indicates that individuals are effectively mobilised to exercise their right to vote and voice their opinions on the country’s future.”
“Electoral offices are operating efficiently.” She further stated that the process appears tranquil, based on our observations.
The Aar Sunu Election (Protect Our Election) group, led by Dr. Abdoulaye Bousso, said, “I believe today is a tremendous day for us.
The February election cancellation announcement by Sall incited widespread discontent among members of civil society, including Bousso’s organisation.
“We fought for this election day to occur, and we are extremely proud to witness the massive turnout of the Senegalese people.”
The victory of the Senegalese democracy signifies this to us.
